The present invention relates generally to vehicle racks and more particularly to a carrying rack for transporting bicycles, sporting or work equipment.
Many different designs of carrying racks exist in the prior art. Some are intended only for use within pickup truck beds. Others are mounted to a truck""s trailer hitch. Some carrying rack styles are roof oriented for both space efficiency and compatibility with many vehicle types. Despite the variety of carrying racks in the prior art, none allow for the quick and easy use of a tonneau or hard shell bed cover and the cargo bed itself, while providing for the attachment of bicycles or other equipment for transport.
One common bicycle and equipment rack is the roof mounted rack. A typical roof mounted rack consists of side beams mounted in parallel with the direction of the car or truck. Cross beams with attached mounts are placed perpendicular to the side beams. There are a limited number of these racks that will fit a pickup truck roof. Further, when a roof-mounted rack is installed on a truck, it is difficult to reach the rack to load bicycles and/or other equipment due to the added height of most pickup trucks. In the same regard, the height of the bicycles or other equipment, combined with the height of the truck is unsafe to users. There is also concern for securing bicycles at this height because of the possibility of contacting low bridges, trees, and having the bicycles dismount from the rack due to being mounted so far from the truck""s center of gravity. Moreover, on rough roads, bicycles in this location will suffer exaggerated effects from bumps.
Another common style of bicycle and equipment rack is the hitch-mounted rack. This rack is especially suitable for pickup trucks because many trucks have hitches. Hitch-mounted racks are advantageous because they are out of the way and do not use precious truck bed space. They are also easily loaded and unloaded. However, because of the value of some bicycles and other sporting equipment it is preferable not to have this equipment located close to the road, where stones are likely to damage the equipment. This is also a vulnerable location due to the chance of accidents with other vehicles. A rear-end collision, even a minor one, would mean minimal damage to the bumper and car, but any bicycle or equipment caught in between two cars would be crushed.
A further type of bicycle or equipment rack for use with a pickup truck is the in-bed rack. These racks typically consist of a fork mount on the floor of the truck bed, or an arm from one side of the bed to the other, attached to the upper rim of the walls of the truck bed. Although these racks are effective, they still do not resolve all the concerns of truck owners. As trucks have become more popular, so too has the use of bed covers. The soft tonneau or hard shell cover, needs to be removed from the bed in order to use in-bed racks. The in-bed style of bicycle and equipment rack also takes up valuable bed space. Truck owners typically want to use the truck bed for storing items in addition to bicycles and equipment.
The bicycle rack of the present invention is comprised of two base members that are attached to the walls of the truck bed. The base members extend outward from the walls of the truck bed and are attached to one or more cross members. The cross members can be removed for storage in the truck bed when not in use. The cross members mount easily to the base members. The cross members are intended to be removable because many tonneau and hard shell covers are hinged and can be raised like a trunk lid for a car. When the cross members are removed, the bed cover is free to move in an upward direction.
The present invention allows for easy transportation of bicycles and other equipment on a truck, while not taking up valuable bed space or sacrificing the bed cover. The present invention takes advantage of the space above the bed and makes it unnecessary to remove a tonneau or hard shell cover each time bicycles or equipment is transported. The present invention also protects bicycles and other equipment from damage normally associated with being carried on the hitch, where such equipment is subject to the risk of fender-bender accidents that would crush the equipment. The present invention further provides bicycles and equipment with a lower center of gravity than most car roof racks.